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Taking Films to New Audiences: Meet the Distributors

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Posted on February 9, 2005

From the first moments of filming to the final cut, completing an independent film is inevitably coupled with uncertainty: How will my film reach its intended audience? For every blockbuster documentary sensation there are hundreds of films having an arduous time making a thumbprint on the world. Who will give life to your film and bring it to the screens both big and small?

The answers to these questions lie in your choice of distributor. Distributors are organizations (some non-profit and some for-profit) that sell films to various markets: National, International, Home Video, Theatrical, Educational, Broadcast and various permutations thereof. Distributors cater to all: from librarians seeking to enhance their collections, to teachers wanting to incorporate films into their classrooms, to activists seeking to motivate citizens. Distributors' goals and strategies are multifarious, both setting and emulating trends. I had the privilege of speaking with representatives from a few key distributors (whose films are listed in the MediaRights database) about their efforts to bring independent social-issue media to audiences.

Distributors can help bring your social-issue film to your target audience. But which distributor is right for you?

Distributors with a Mission

A top priority for many distributors of independent films is situating themselves in a unique position in the industry. They aim to uncover a distinct, untapped and perhaps disenfranchised community and amass the best catalogue of films that will meet this community's needs.

Some examples include: Women Make Movies, a New York based non-profit organization established in 1972 to address the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of women in the media. It is the largest distributor of women's films and videos in the world. Frameline, a San Francisco based distributor whose mission is to support, develop, and promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer visibility through media arts. Also located in the Bay Area is California Newsreel, who for 36 years has been promoting the use of video as a tool for social change. They are a leading resource center in the study of race, diversity and African American feature films and documentaries. These distributors create a specific community around the films they represent, and in turn these niche audiences consider them to be trusted film resources.

The Catalogue

Upon entering into a contract with a filmmaker, distributors take on the responsibility of circulating a film by executing marketing and outreach campaigns. They commit themselves to generating sales in the festival, broadcast and educational markets. Distributors draw upon all outreach and marketing strategies from grassroots and web-based efforts to more costly print and commercial campaigns. At the very basic level, distributors offer each of their acquisitions a listing in their film and video catalogue available both in print and online. Generally, each film in a distributor's catalogue is featured on their website with a synopsis, credits, reviews, photos, teachers' guides (if available), and links to other relevant resources (other films by the same artists, other films on the same topic etc).

The Video Data Bank, who for the past 30 years has been the leading resource in the United States for videotapes by and about contemporary artists, enhances their web catalogue by streaming clips of their films online. This practice is becoming increasingly popular because it reduces and will eventually eliminate the need for sending out preview copies of films, an expensive service often requested by educational institutions before they will purchase a film. Most distributors have not yet incorporated streaming technology into their marketing strategies, but it is expected to soon become the standard.

The Video Data Bank streams clips of their titles on their website so that potential buyers can see what they're getting.

Documentary Educational Resources produces, distributes and promotes ethnographic and documentary films from around the world. They explain that, for them, streaming clips online will be possible once they transfer their titles to DVD. Indeed, many distributors spoke of their plans to undertake this costly endeavor; as VHS becomes an obsolete medium, their entire collections have to be transferred to DVD. Fortunately, having their catalogue in this digital form will make streaming clips from films within reach.

Online Marketing

Once a film becomes part of a distributor's catalogue, the marketing and outreach of the film begins. All of the distributors I spoke with expressed the unparalleled efficiency of online outreach -- they execute e-campaigns for all their films. It is the most cost-effective advertising tool, a message reaching hundreds of thousands of inboxes instantaneously. Some distributors send out e-newsletters to highlight new releases, special offers, broadcast times and screening locations.

And electronic outreach can enable distributors to enhance timely, nationwide campaigns. For example, during Black History Month in February, pertinent titles from a distributor's catalogue may be highlighted and offered at a reduced rate, generating sales while offering programmatic ideas to the educational market. New Day Films, a cooperative for independent social-issue media, highlighted titles germane to the commemoration of Black History Month on their homepage and in their e-newsletter and Cinema Guild offered a 25% discount on the films in their African-American Studies Collection.

Films for the Humanities and Sciences has a portion of their site titled: Timely Topics. It features films related to stories in the headlines.

Other web-based strategies include posting on listerservs, online calendars, and community sites etc.

Califronia Newsreel highlighted the film At The River I Stand during Black History Month.

Other Marketing Strategies

Non-electronic marketing is generally budgeted for what a distributor deems to be more commercially viable films. These strategies include distribution of postcards and flyers to members, conferences and media markets. Although this is a more costly endeavor, bulk mailings are often effective in targeted campaigns to very specific niche audiences. First Run/Icarus Films, a leading distributor of documentary film and video that houses over 875 titles, explains that they design mailings to reach professors within distinct departments at universities. This strategy enables distributors to reach the audiences most likely to benefit from and therefore purchase specific titles.

Postcards are often also sent to conferences, festivals and media markets in the hopes of capturing attention in highly-competitive atmospheres. While sending materials is a cost-efficient way for a film to have some presence at a conference, many distributors speak of the importance of attending educational and media convergences in person. The Video Data Bank sends representatives to 3-4 conferences a year such as those of the National Association for Media Arts and Culture, the Association of Moving Image Archivists, and the Society for Cinema Studies. Bullfrog Films, a leading distributor of educational videos with a focus on environmental and social justice films, attends academic conferences such as that of the American Library Association. Since it is generally hard for an individual filmmaker to attend national conferences, this is one of many invaluable services that distributors can offer.

Partnerships

Similar to filmmakers entering into distribution deals, distributors themselves join forces with broadcasters, retailers and other media outletes to further extend the reach of a film. Earlier in 2004, Docurama began partnering with P.O.V., public television's annual showcase for independent non-fiction films, to bring many of the series' programs to DVD. This collaboration gives P.O.V. filmmakers greater opportunity to build new audiences for their independently produced, non-fiction works. Each P.O.V title released via Docurama will also include bonus materials and features that were made especially for the broadcast thus adding depth and breadth to the issues raised within the film. Most importantly, partnering with Docurama enables the P.O.V titles to be seen beyond the broadcast and become part of home video and educational libraries.

Targeted Campaigns

Working with large catalogues, distributors are able to package numerous films together, creating specific campaigns that explore in depth a given topic. A recent example of note is the Girls Project offered by Women Make Movies. This initiative features a collection of 25 films and videos centered on girls' lives around the world. The Girls Project is divided into six modules: Adolescence/Coming of Age, Feminism, Body Image/Sexual Identity, Global Perspectives I, Global Perspectives II and U.S. Cultural Identity. The films are enhanced by online teaching tools and are available for group purchases for a discounted price.

The Girls Project is a new initiative from Women Make Movies.

Often times, the most invaluable resource offered by a distributor is their clout in the indy film world. With years or sometimes decades of effective work in the industry under the belt, a distributor can generate sales for a film simply through their endorsement. Broadcasters, festivals, conferences and teachers are more likely to offer their screens to films that feature a distributor's trusted stamp of approval. But can filmmakers reach audiences (and make back some of their production costs) without the safety net of a distributor? What support systems are available for those who undertake self-distribution?

Tackling Self-Distribution

An increasing number of filmmakers are self-distributing their work through the power of the internet. Independent producers are implementing strategies similar to those used by distributors: film websites, streaming trailers, email lists, and online outreach are all indispensable tools for publicizing independent films. And with new technologies emerging every season, the web itself is becoming an effective outlet for distribution.

MediaRights encourages media makers, distributors, organizations, activists and educators to use our web tools to enhance your reach. Our film database (featuring over 6,000 titles) can be searched by title, filmmaker and issue enabling a user to find a title and purchase it -- whether it be from an established distribution company or directly from the filmmaker. MediaRights' organizational database helps independent distributors and individuals find and contact new audiences.

To offer further guidance to individuals taking on distribution and outreach, we offer the Independent Producers' Outreach Toolkit, co-presented by the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers.

With the roles of filmmakers, distributors and media organizations increasingly converging, new distribution and outreach models are being explored and implemented. The social-issue documentary genre is more commercially-viable than ever before. As demand grows, distributors -- from the individual filmmaker to the thirty-year-old nonprofit distributor -- are responsible for delivering important films and maximizing their impact.

Many thanks to the participating distributors:

Bullfrog Films California Newsreel Cinema Guild Documentary Educational Resources Docurama Films for the Humanities First Run/Icarus Frameline New Day Film Video Data Bank Women Make Movies